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A charming rags-to-riches story… Vera Jane Cook’s award-winning Dancing Backward in Paradise

 Dancing Backward in Paradise

by Vera Jane Cook

Dancing Backward in Paradise

4.2 stars – 17 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled

Here’s the set-up from ForeWord Clarion Review:

5 Star

2007 Eric Hoffer Award

2007 Notable New Fiction Indie Excellence Award

Dancing Backward in Paradise by Vera Jane Cook is a charming rags-to-riches story with a heartwarming ending, memorable characters, and a riveting plot that will make the reader forget the outside world.

It’s 1967. The world is rapidly changing, but eighteen-year-old Grace remains oblivious to anything outside her own small circle of existence. After all, Paradise is more than just the name of a trailer park; it’s home, and it’s all Grace thinks she’ll ever need. However, Mama is convinced that Grace could make it big in New York City as an actress, since “being pretty made life as easy as picking day lilies.” Reluctant to leave her fiancé, Lenny Bean, Grace finds all sorts of excuses to delay her trip. She’s unaware that Lenny has gotten engaged to another woman with the intent to murder her, inherit her estate, and then marry Grace. Once she figures out his scheme, however, leaving for New York is the easy part. Reporting a potential murder turns out to be nearly impossible.

The characters in this story are rich and deep. At first, the reader might roll her eyes at Grace’s naïveté and childish reactions as she falls for Lenny, a sexy but lazy “cowboy with sideburns.” Yet as Grace experiences the outside world in sophisticated New York, a place “so miraculous and exciting, so painfully alienating that you just might find yourself amongst the confusion,” the reader will appreciate Grace’s ability to stretch and change. Minor characters have layers, too. For example, Ezra Buckley Bean, Lenny’s father and a gallant southern gentleman, speaks in colorful Shakespearean language that doesn’t seem to belong in a trailer park. There’s also Mama, whose gentle words of wisdom steer Grace toward enlightenment. Her observations on New York City are priceless; when Grace marvels at all the skyscrapers, Mama replies, “That’s what New York City is, honey—many heartbeats, many visions.”

The author’s craftsmanship is stunning and poetic. Cook draws on her own southern heritage to create masterful metaphors like “The car smelled like a Budweiser plant had exploded under the hood and those fools were the happy fish floating in the foam,” or “I was melting faster than ice cubes in Mama’s bourbon.” In the hands of an amateur, such comparisons would only equate one thing to another; Cook layers her metaphors to establish setting and deepen character development.

This story is not for everyone. Sex permeates Grace’s life—whether it’s her perverted grandfather chasing her around the bedroom to no avail, her brother messing around with “every woman in town under forty,” or her own boyfriend cheating on her for money. Yet each sexual encounter—whether it’s that of Grace or one of her friends—teaches her new lessons that ultimately allow her to create her own path in life.

Although a younger audience may not be familiar with the author’s references to Loretta Young, Merle Haggard, or Hayley Mills, they will surely relate to Grace’s difficulties as she tries to figure out what to do with her life. For older readers, invoking celebrities of the time will resurrect memories of 1967. Anyone who enjoys Southern stories, coming-of-age adventures, murder thrillers, or a satisfying romantic tale should read Dancing Backward in Paradise.

One Amazon Reviewer Notes

“A rare find, great timing in her writing and a tightly woven story. Finished it in 4 days which is rare for me. Lovers of southern literature will devour this book!” – 5 Stars

Excerpt

“Graves isn’t safe for a young pretty woman like you, Grace,” Jeb said, scowling at me. “Too many stray dogs looking for meat. Wouldn’t you agree, boys?” “Uh-huh,” those two fools said, like they were Siamese twins attached at the vocal cords. I sat there trying to think of a way out of that car and hating myself for getting in it to begin with. I watched as Jeb pulled off the two-lane route we’d been on and onto some quiet, dark road with nothing on it but night critters. We were going up a hill, and all I could see out the damn window were his headlights glaring back into my eyes. “Get out of the car, boys…take a walk.,” Jeb sneered. He pulled to a stop in the middle of nowhere. “No,” I said. “Don’t you two go nowhere. Take me home, Jeb!” I demanded. I’ll never forget Joe Jack’s eyes; they were big, big as a raccoon’s. “He won’t hurt you none,” Joe Jack said. “We’re just going up behind the trees to take a leak. We’ll be back.” “No!” I shouted and started screaming. Those idiot boys did just as they were told and left the car and went running up into the woods. I kicked Jeb with my foot. “Just a kiss, honey—that’s all I want.” Jeb pulled me to him. I was wondering how hard I could bite his lip when he surprised me and sat back. He undid his belt buckle and burped. I took advantage of the longest burp I’d ever heard and leaped through that door like a deer reacting to gunshots. “Hey, where you going?” he shouted. It was so dark I couldn’t see two feet in front of me, but I ran like the devil. I heard his car door slam and the next thing I knew, Jeb was running after me. I paused just long enough to try and figure out what direction to go in, and in that dumb moment of reflection, Jeb grabbed me and forced me to the ground. “Get off me, Jeb!” I hollered as I moved my head back and forth, trying to avoid his mouth. “Please stop!” The old bastard had a wang the size of an eggplant. I could feel the damn thing hard as steel, against my leg. I started screaming as he lifted up my dress and ripped my underwear right off my body. I felt his hand clamp down on my mouth. “C’mon, baby,” he grunted in my ear. I could barely breathe but somehow I managed to bring my knee up right into his stomach, just as he was lifting himself up high enough to pull his eggplant wang out from behind his zipper. The son of a bitch fell back against the truck and slid to the ground. Shit, I was stronger than I ever dreamed I could be. “I’m going to throw up, Grace,” he mumbled. “What did you want to go and do that for?” I could hear him puking as I jumped behind the wheel of the T-Bird and slammed the door.

About The Author

Vera Jane Cook, a descendent from a fine line of Southern eccentrics, is working on her next novel, which is a family saga that spans the twentieth century and three generations of women. She resides on the upper west side of Manhattan with her partner. Visit Vera’s website at: http://www.verajanecook.com/.
(This is a sponsored post.)

Historical Fiction Readers Alert! Free Excerpt of Vera Jane Cook’s Charming Rags-to-Riches Novel, Dancing Backward in Paradise

Dancing Backward in Paradise

by Vera Jane Cook

4.2 stars – 10 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled

Here’s the set-up from ForeWord Clarion Review:

5 Star

2007 Eric Hoffer Award

2007 Notable New Fiction Indie Excellence Award

Dancing Backward in Paradise by Vera Jane Cook is a charming rags-to-riches story with a heartwarming ending, memorable characters, and a riveting plot that will make the reader forget the outside world.

It’s 1967. The world is rapidly changing, but eighteen-year-old Grace remains oblivious to anything outside her own small circle of existence. After all, Paradise is more than just the name of a trailer park; it’s home, and it’s all Grace thinks she’ll ever need. However, Mama is convinced that Grace could make it big in New York City as an actress, since “being pretty made life as easy as picking day lilies.” Reluctant to leave her fiancé, Lenny Bean, Grace finds all sorts of excuses to delay her trip. She’s unaware that Lenny has gotten engaged to another woman with the intent to murder her, inherit her estate, and then marry Grace. Once she figures out his scheme, however, leaving for New York is the easy part. Reporting a potential murder turns out to be nearly impossible.

The characters in this story are rich and deep. At first, the reader might roll her eyes at Grace’s naïveté and childish reactions as she falls for Lenny, a sexy but lazy “cowboy with sideburns.” Yet as Grace experiences the outside world in sophisticated New York, a place “so miraculous and exciting, so painfully alienating that you just might find yourself amongst the confusion,” the reader will appreciate Grace’s ability to stretch and change. Minor characters have layers, too. For example, Ezra Buckley Bean, Lenny’s father and a gallant southern gentleman, speaks in colorful Shakespearean language that doesn’t seem to belong in a trailer park. There’s also Mama, whose gentle words of wisdom steer Grace toward enlightenment. Her observations on New York City are priceless; when Grace marvels at all the skyscrapers, Mama replies, “That’s what New York City is, honey—many heartbeats, many visions.”

The author’s craftsmanship is stunning and poetic. Cook draws on her own southern heritage to create masterful metaphors like “The car smelled like a Budweiser plant had exploded under the hood and those fools were the happy fish floating in the foam,” or “I was melting faster than ice cubes in Mama’s bourbon.” In the hands of an amateur, such comparisons would only equate one thing to another; Cook layers her metaphors to establish setting and deepen character development.

This story is not for everyone. Sex permeates Grace’s life—whether it’s her perverted grandfather chasing her around the bedroom to no avail, her brother messing around with “every woman in town under forty,” or her own boyfriend cheating on her for money. Yet each sexual encounter—whether it’s that of Grace or one of her friends—teaches her new lessons that ultimately allow her to create her own path in life.

Although a younger audience may not be familiar with the author’s references to Loretta Young, Merle Haggard, or Hayley Mills, they will surely relate to Grace’s difficulties as she tries to figure out what to do with her life. For older readers, invoking celebrities of the time will resurrect memories of 1967. Anyone who enjoys Southern stories, coming-of-age adventures, murder thrillers, or a satisfying romantic tale should read Dancing Backward in Paradise.

One Amazon Reviewer Notes

“A rare find, great timing in her writing and a tightly woven story. Finished it in 4 days which is rare for me. Lovers of southern literature will devour this book!” – 5 Stars

Excerpt

“Graves isn’t safe for a young pretty woman like you, Grace,” Jeb said, scowling at me. “Too many stray dogs looking for meat. Wouldn’t you agree, boys?” “Uh-huh,” those two fools said, like they were Siamese twins attached at the vocal cords. I sat there trying to think of a way out of that car and hating myself for getting in it to begin with. I watched as Jeb pulled off the two-lane route we’d been on and onto some quiet, dark road with nothing on it but night critters. We were going up a hill, and all I could see out the damn window were his headlights glaring back into my eyes. “Get out of the car, boys…take a walk.,” Jeb sneered. He pulled to a stop in the middle of nowhere. “No,” I said. “Don’t you two go nowhere. Take me home, Jeb!” I demanded. I’ll never forget Joe Jack’s eyes; they were big, big as a raccoon’s. “He won’t hurt you none,” Joe Jack said. “We’re just going up behind the trees to take a leak. We’ll be back.” “No!” I shouted and started screaming. Those idiot boys did just as they were told and left the car and went running up into the woods. I kicked Jeb with my foot. “Just a kiss, honey—that’s all I want.” Jeb pulled me to him. I was wondering how hard I could bite his lip when he surprised me and sat back. He undid his belt buckle and burped. I took advantage of the longest burp I’d ever heard and leaped through that door like a deer reacting to gunshots. “Hey, where you going?” he shouted. It was so dark I couldn’t see two feet in front of me, but I ran like the devil. I heard his car door slam and the next thing I knew, Jeb was running after me. I paused just long enough to try and figure out what direction to go in, and in that dumb moment of reflection, Jeb grabbed me and forced me to the ground. “Get off me, Jeb!” I hollered as I moved my head back and forth, trying to avoid his mouth. “Please stop!” The old bastard had a wang the size of an eggplant. I could feel the damn thing hard as steel, against my leg. I started screaming as he lifted up my dress and ripped my underwear right off my body. I felt his hand clamp down on my mouth. “C’mon, baby,” he grunted in my ear. I could barely breathe but somehow I managed to bring my knee up right into his stomach, just as he was lifting himself up high enough to pull his eggplant wang out from behind his zipper. The son of a bitch fell back against the truck and slid to the ground. Shit, I was stronger than I ever dreamed I could be. “I’m going to throw up, Grace,” he mumbled. “What did you want to go and do that for?” I could hear him puking as I jumped behind the wheel of the T-Bird and slammed the door.

About The Author

Vera Jane Cook, a descendent from a fine line of Southern eccentrics, is working on her next novel, which is a family saga that spans the twentieth century and three generations of women. She resides on the upper west side of Manhattan with her partner. Visit Vera’s website at: http://www.verajanecook.com/.
(This is a sponsored post.)

Kindle Nation Daily Historical Fiction Readers Alert – Vera Jane Cook’s Award-Winning Dancing Backward in Paradise

4.2 stars – 10 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

2007 Eric Hoffer Award

2007 Notable New Fiction Indie Excellence Award

Life for Grace Place is all about sucking on “meat jerkys” and Lenny Bean, her handsome lover. Grace’s mother has loftier plans for her daughter. She insists that Grace save her money and move to New York City so she can find fame and fortune as an actress.

Grace works as a cleaning lady for wealthy Betty Ann Houseman so she can pool her pennies for the trip north. Betty Ann has a passion for men more pronounced than her overbite, and it isn’t long before she’s parting the sheets for Lenny Bean. But just before Grace leaves Hixson for New York City, she uncovers an insidious plot: the Bean family is trying to steal Betty Ann’s estate.

Grace flees to New York, where she faces her darkest hours. In a world of surprises, Grace truly discovers paradise.

One Amazon Reviewer Notes
“A rare find, great timing in her writing and a tightly woven story. Finished it in 4 days which is rare for me. Lovers of southern literature will devour this book!” – 5 Stars

About The Author

Vera Jane Cook, a descendent from a fine line of Southern eccentrics, is working on her next novel, which is a family saga that spans the twentieth century and three generations of women. She resides on the upper west side of Manhattan with her partner. Visit Vera’s website at: http://www.verajanecook.com/.
(This is a sponsored post.)

Today’s Kindle Daily Deal — Monday, February 13– Save 87% on Brenda Webster’a hypnotic narrative about Sigmund Freud, his family, and his disciples, VIENNA TRIANGLE, plus … Vera Jane Cook’s DANCING BACKWARD IN PARADISE (Today’s Sponsor)

But first, a word from … Today’s Sponsor

Dancing Backward in Paradise

by Vera Jane Cook
4.2 stars – 10 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Don’t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

Here’s the set-up:

At the Paradise Trailer Park in Hixson, Tennessee, life for Grace Place is all about sucking on “meat jerkys” and having amorous encounters with Lenny Bean, her handsome lover. However, Grace’s mother has loftier plans for her daughter and insists that Grace save her money and move to New York City so she can find fame and fortune as an actress.

Intent on pacifying her mama, Grace works as a cleaning lady for wealthy Betty Ann Houseman so she can pool her pennies for the trip north. Grace soon discovers that Betty Ann has a passion for men more pronounced than her overbite, and it isn’t long before she’s parting the sheets for Lenny Bean. But just before she leaves Hixson, Grace uncovers an insidious plot the eccentric Bean family has devised to steal Betty Ann’s estate.

Filled with anger but intent on keeping her promise to her mama, Grace and her best friend, Ginny Jo, flee to New York City. Amid the drama of the 1960s, and the absurdity of her life, Grace faces her darkest hours and her greatest opportunity to flourish. In a world of surprises, and unforeseen events, Grace truly discovers paradise.

 Each day’s Kindle Daily Deal is sponsored by
one paid title on Kindle Nation. We encourage you to support our sponsors and thank you for considering them.

and now … Today’s Kindle Daily Deal!

Vienna TriangleKindle Daily Deal: Vienna Triangle

In writing this hypnotic narrative, author Brenda Webster immersed herself in the lives and sexual entanglements of an extraordinary set of people—Sigmund Freud, his family, and his disciples. From the artifacts they left behind, she forms a fascinating set of speculations buttressed by facts.

Yesterday’s Price: $7.69
Today’s Discount: $6.70
Kindle Daily Deal Price: $0.99 (87% off)
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